Bolster.



PATBNTED JUNE 3o, 1903.

G. G. FLOYD.

BOLSTER. APPLICATION FILED un'. 25. 1903.

N0 MODEL.

No. vemos.

UNITED STATES Patented June 30, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE G. FLOYD, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURL'ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN STEEL FOUNDRIES, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION.

BOLSTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 732,403, dated .I une 30, 1903.

Application filed April 25, '1903.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE G. FLOYD, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bolsters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to produce a body-bolster for railway-cars in a manner that will permit of its removalfrom the draft members without taking oif the end sill or other parts of the rigging, the construction of the bolster being such that it can be readily repaired when put back in position and when repaired will be of substantially the same strength and durability as when iirst put into use.

The invention consists in features of novelty hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claim.

Figure I is a side elevation of my improved bolster, the draft members and sills being shown in vertical section. Fig. II is a top or plan view. Fig. III is a detail longitudinal section taken on line III III, Fig. I. Fig. IV is a vertical transverse section taken on line IV IV, Fig. I. Fig. V is adetail side view showing the bolster in the condition it assumes after the draft members have been renewed.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the bolster, which I have shown as consisting of an upper chord 2, a lower chord 3, and a connecting-web 4. The lower chord is provided with the usual side bearings 5 and center bearing 6.

7 represents theY outside sills of the carbody, and S the inner sills. The outside sills rest upon the ends 9 of the lower chord, and they are strengthened and supported by'means of braces 10 connecting them to the upper chord.

11 represents the draft members, located in openings 12 formed in the bolster. These draft members are bolted or riveted to anges I3, that connect the upper and lower chords together and which are formed integral Serial No. 154,205. (No model.)

therewith. It frequently happens that these draft members or sills have to be renewed, and it is the obj ect of my invention to so construct the bolster that this can be done without removing the ends sills or other partsof the draft-rigging. When this renewal work is to be done, I cut Ythe upper chord on the dotted lines A, Fig. I, and then by cutting off the heads of the rivets that connect the members tothe flanges 13 the bolster can be removed in a downwardly direction to permit the removal of the draft members, and when the draft members have been removed the bolster is placed back in position, after which a strap I4, Fig. V, is riveted or bolted to the upper chord, this strap extending across the openings 12, as shown. It is necessaryto have the openings as wide throughout their lengths as the widest part of/the draft members in order that the bolster can be removed in a vertical direction after the parts A have been cut out.

A bolster thus made affords a convenience also in that if it should become broken or useless it can be removed Without taking off the end sill and replaced by a new bolster of the same kind, the new bolster being first cut at A to permit it to be placed in position, and when placed in position the strapr 14 would be applied thereto. AVhen thebolster has been thus repaired, it is of substantially the same strength and durability as when rst put into use. The work can be quickly done, and by thus forming the bolster it is neces- 4sary to removejit from its position when the draft membershave to be renewed.

I claim as my invention- A body-bolster for railway-cars having an upper chord and centrally-located anges and having openings on each sideof the flanges to receive the draft members; saidpopenings being as wide throughout vtheir lengthas the width of the draft members, substantially as set forth.

GEORGE G. FLOYD. In presence of- E. S. KNIGHT,

BLANCHE I-IoGAN. 

